Pick Me Up! 11-Aug-2016

What A Year! Both my mum and dad turn 60 this year. That’s the same age as Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher and Bryan Cranston. A good bunch! 30 ...that’s the average number of spiders in the average UK household. Horrible! Still, the good news is that some of the blighters are in the garden. What A Bad Romance! Check out our piece on famous co-stars who rumours say didn’t get on. Claire and Leo in Romeo + Juliet are on the list. Nooo! You'll find it on lifedeathprizes.com . What A Show! Is anyone else hooked on Orange is the New Black on  Netflix? I love it, but I don’t understand how they all have such perfect eyebrows behind bars?! What A Duster! Have…

High there No fear here! My daughter Ava, 8, was all smiles on the Ferris wheel at Weston- super-Mare. Yasmin Wears, Bridgend Neck and neck Giddy up! My 5-month-old daughter Grace loves riding Raffy, her new giraffe! Brooke Cockburn, Gateshead Love you, Mum I treasure this photo of me and my late mum at my graduation – I hope I can still make her proud. Sophie Goldsmith, Whitstable Hill climb That’s me, pointing out the white stuff that gives Mount Snowdon its name! Louise Furtado, Tadworth Jumbo fun I went to the zoo to escape the hustle and bustle of Benidorm... luckily it was right beside my hotel! Rhiannon Thomas, Swansea Cat-ching rays When the sun comes out, nothing can stop our Maisie from topping up her tan! Michelle Underwood,…

‘My heart ached for the child that was taken from me’ Staring at the thick, blue line on the pregnancy test, I turned to my boyfriend John. ‘It’s positive,’ I told him. We were both just 15... As soon as I revealed I was pregnant, Social Services were on my back. I’d been in care for the past year. Social workers were worried that I was too young to have a child, and they told me I wasn’t allowed contact with John. So we broke up when I was four months pregnant. In November 1996, I gave birth to a beautiful son, Shane. Gazing at his face, I knew I would do everything in my power to protect him. But I couldn’t bear to keep Shane away from his dad.…

‘When I tried to comfort him, he just screamed’ ‘We sat by his tiny hospital cot and watched helplessly’ Is tared down at my baby boy as he slept in my arms. He looked so beautiful, I couldn’t resist giving him a kiss. ‘I love you so much,’ I said. Gently, I put Ole-John, who was then 6 weeks old, in his Moses basket and headed off to bed. Next morning, I woke up with a familiar tingling feeling on my lip. ‘I think I’m getting a cold sore,’ I said to my partner Chris, 31. ‘Another one?’ he replied. I’d been getting cold sores about every eight weeks since I was a teenager, always in the same spot. For the next couple of days, I applied over-the-counter cream every…

Make a fun coat rack by removing the hooks and replacing with toy skateboards. Ann Johnson, Runcorn If you don’t like the taste of envelope glue, use a baby wipe to seal them shut. Ian Laird, Birkenhead Rub salt into food stains before washing and they’ll disappear completely. Hayley Tomkins, Swansea Revive wilted broccoli by cutting off the bottom of the stalk and placing it in a jar of water in the fridge. Katie Beck, Kilmarnock Wipe off watermarks from shower doors with a damp dryer sheet. Simple! Jeena Sumner, North London A potato peeler does an excellent job of slicing onions extra-thin. Helen Baldwin, Leeds I painted an old wooden wine crate and turned it into a storage box for my son’s train set. Leah Ingledew, Berwick-upon-Tweed With leftover…

1 Little bottles  Hang onto those free hotel toiletries – saves space in your bag on your next trip! Kathryn Milner, Pudsey 2 Fix  it  Pack mending tape with your travel iron – it’s handy for minor clothes repairs. Tina Vowles, Stroud 3 Bargain hunt  When you get to your holiday destination , buy a paper – it may well have discount vouchers for some local attractions. Bea Wilkinson, Cullompton 4 Safe pic  Take a photo of your passport with your phone so you have the details to hand if it ever gets stolen. Michael Cannon, Glasgow…